


May I Have this Dance

by koalahugs



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M, No Beta, No proofreading, Post-Time Skip, Soft and tender, right after the reunion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-05
Updated: 2020-03-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:35:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23024896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/koalahugs/pseuds/koalahugs
Summary: After the reunion, a moment of respite brings two members of the Golden Deer together.
Relationships: Marianne von Edmund/Claude von Riegan
Comments: 4
Kudos: 20





	May I Have this Dance

Seldom she came to the reception hall in the days of her youth. Marianne could hardly recollect the times she would stay in the great hall. As she entered from the doorway that came from the knight’s hall, she glanced around the room. She took in high ceiling, recalling how it made her feel so small, so insignificant and yet, so safe. She placed her hand on the table, never looking at it. Her eyes glanced at the solid mahogany walls. How firm they were, but smoothed to touch and finished with a fine lacquer. She breathed in; the smell of dust and age filling her nose. She breathed out. She turns her head slightly, so chin is close to her shoulder.

“The last time we were here, the halls were filled with laughter.”

Marianne nods in agreement. “Now it’s quiet with the ghosts of those laughs.”

Claude comes to a halt beside her. She takes a few steps forward. She knows she is not graceful like Hilda. She is not confident like Leonie. “Where were you that night?”

She turns around and faces him. She looks at him. Left hand on his hip, weight sifted to his left side. He looks at her with that same look of curiosity he always has when they speak. She shakes her head, and makes her way past him. Marianne wants to avoid the awkward conversation.

Before she is fully past him, Claude’s right hand reaches out and takes hold of her left wrist. She turns and looks at her wrist in his hand, then looks at him. A part of her is nervous. In the past, every time he came to her he would often pry, push into things he had no business in. If this was another one of those times, she would rather walk away. Perhaps her thoughts are on her face as he quickly intercepts her thoughts. “I just… I can’t quite explain.”

Claude gingerly drops hold of her wrist, as he brings his hand up behind his head. “I really wanted to… See I- The professor was just standing there, watching. I figured they needed a hand in joining the fun.”

“I’m not sure where you’re going with this.” Marianne tilts her head.

He now stretches his right hand out to her, an awkward smile on his face. She’s never seen him look so unsure. “Well?”

She stares at his hand for a moment, then looks up to his face. “Well, what?”

He chuckles at her, “Oh, Marianne.” He takes a step closer to her, extends his wrist and opens his palm more. “May I have this dance?”

Her eyes widen in response and she takes a step back. Her fingers curl gently, she’s suddenly very aware that she is not sure what to do with her hands. She’s suddenly acutely aware of the echoing silence of the reception hall. How vast the space is, when there is just him and her. It had been five years since this hall was used as anything other than a momentary place of rest for vagabonds and street urchins. Five years since the grand celebrations of Garreg Mach’s 995 years. “I-here? Now?”

Claude reaches forward, gently taking her left hand in his right hand, and placing his left on the small of her back. “I’ve waited five years for this.”

Marianne slowly raises her right hand and places it on his shoulder, just by his pauldron. She keeps her eyes on his. Her lips are pressed tightly together and eyebrows furrowed together in timidity. His own features are relaxed. He smiles at her. She gives an shy smile back, but it quickly fades back. “There’s no music.”

“So?” he chuckles softly, and begins to step forward. Another step forward. He pulls on her waist and swings her to his left, to the left again. Step forward, step forward. She tilts her head down, watching their feet and follows. She follows with a step back, step back, turn to the right, turn to the right. It starts off awkward and stiff. They’re both careful so as not to step on one another’s toes. She does not want to lean too much weight into him. He is careful not to drag her. Soon their motions become more fluid, synchronized. As if she can read him, as if he’s letting her read him.

A smile. A genuine smile cracks her tense expressions as she looks up at him. She giggles. He smiles back. His eyes softening. Suddenly, his left-hand drops from her waist and his pulls his right hand in between them, effectively causing her to slightly stumble. When she’s back to the first position, he balances her back by bringing his left hand back to where it was. She sighs in relief. And again, they start. The cycle of the box-steps, he would occasionally twirl her. Now knowing what to expect she would follow. Soon they found themselves on the other end of the hall, close to entrance that would lead to the bridge. Despite the lack of music, despite the lack of an event, she was having fun. So was he.

They would share a laugh whenever she would take a clumsy step to return from a twirl. She would giggle when Claude would misstep stumble over himself, making sure not to step on her toes. Finally, they find themselves back to square one. He decides one more twirl to finish. It seems she would agree, as he feels her right hand drop from his shoulder, a moment before he drops his left. Despite having circled the entirety of the hall, Marianne miscalculates and steps on her dress. She stumbles, her stomach leaps and she lets go of his hand. Before she can fall, he wraps his left arm fully around her waist, his right hand lands just between her shoulder blades. He feels her tense up, as her fists land on his chest. She takes a breath and sighs. As he pulls back, the hand on her back slides so it rests on her left arm. She cranes her neck up to him.

He glances down, she’s not sure where he looked before his eyes returned to hers. She never noticed how green they were. As green as the pine trees that scattered the valleys below Garreg Mach. There was something more. Secrets. Many secrets that were his to hold, but she could see in his eyes there were so many secrets he wanted to share, but could not. Would not. How long was she lost in his eyes? Suddenly she could feel the warmth of his breath, on her lips. She was suddenly very aware of how close they were. She brings her hands to her side, breaking the hold he has on her.

She believes she is over thinking. “That was… a lot of fun. Thank you.”

He does not reply. He just looks at her. She cannot quite place the look. She’s never seen that expression on anyone, especially not the current Alliance leader. She bows to him and takes a deep breath as she turns away, making way her way to chapel to give thanks to the goddess.

**Author's Note:**

> Short drablet cause I got hit with those late night MariClaude feels.


End file.
